ACLU of Utah Sounds Alarm Over Student Privacy

The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah says Utah schools aren’t doing enough to protect students’ privacy. Legal Director John Mejia says students who take the American Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or ASVAB exam are having their information released to the military without their parents’ knowledge:

“Currently the system is that the schools are the ones that elect how the information is given to the military, and we’re concerned that the parents don’t have the final say in that.”

The organization is urging the State Board of Education to adopt a policy that would require schools to select the option that only releases test results to students and their guidance counselors, not military recruiters.

State Superintendent Larry Shumway says the State Office of Education will take a look at this concern, adding it’s as interested as anyone in protecting students’ privacy.

“I think we have nearly 10,000 students who take the test, but I think we’ve also heard concerns that once the test is taken, then the student may, in some cases, be subject to pretty intense recruiting efforts from the military.”

You can read the letter the ACLU of Utah sent to Superintendent Shumway here.